30 July 2026
A Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) garden with curved shingle walls and ladders reaching skywards to evoke childhood memories of libraries has received a gold medal at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show (Norfolk, 22–26 July).
The RNIB Talking Books garden commemorates 90 years of the service providing fiction and non-fiction books to blind and partially sighted people in accessible formats.
Within the garden, excerpts from leading authors within the Talking Books collection were played.
Judges gave the RNIB Talking Books garden, which was designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes, an award for Best Show Garden and Best Construction alongside a gold medal.
They praised the atmospheric space it created through naturalistic planting and “nods to library spaces.”
RNIB head of supporter experience, Helen Smith, shared her delight that the garden had “captured the imagination” of so many visitors.
“The response to the garden is a reminder that stories have a unique ability to bring comfort, spark memories and create meaningful connections,” she said.
Funding for the garden was made possible through the support of Postcode Lottery players – with £15 million raised for the RNIB since 2018.
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